Man, 28, admits assualt after he threw glass in pub

A28-YEAR-OLD man has admitted assaulting another man with a glass in a pub. Daniel Woods of Hodgson Tower, Guildford Drive, Birmingham, admitted assaulting Brandon Warner on April 7 last year causing him actual bodily harm.

Prosecutor Janine Wood said Woods entered The Wheatpieces pub in Tewkesbury on his own that evening and was already drunk.

He began challenging a group in the pub to play pool against him for money.

The prosecutor said they declined and he began to be verbally abusive.

One of the group defused the situation, Mrs Wood said.

But 20 minutes later Woods was repeating himself, demanding the group play him at pool for money and calling them the same abusive terms when they refused.

Mrs Wood said the defendant then turned on the ‘largest’ member of the group saying: “Come on big man. I will take you on.”

This was Mr Warner, the court heard. Woods then lunged forward towards Mr Warner but could not reach him and from a relatively short distance threw the glass he was holding into Mr Warner’s face.

This caused a one inch cut to Mr Warner’s chin, Mrs Wood said.

She said that Wood had 18 previous convictions for 26 offences with a ‘number for violence.

Sarah Jenkins, representing Woods said: “This is almost akin to single blow case. A lunge, a throw and the group come back at him, and that is the end of him being the aggressor.”

The lawyer said her client’s offending started ‘when he was bereaved of his mother.’

Judge Cullum interjected: “When he starts drinking - that is the problem. The defendant has a drink problem and a violence problem.”

“This time around, everyone has a degree of scepticism,” Mrs Jenkins accepted.

“Last time he said he was willing to get help, but he was not really ready to change.

“He has unresolved issues as to what happened in his mid teenage years.

“He now feels calmer and be able to talk about it.

“He has been to his doctor he may benefit from counselling.

“He is not addicted to alcohol. He has stopped.

“There is an element of turning over a new leaf.

“He has a house he really likes, and a job he really enjoys.

Imposing a two year community order, the judge said to Woods: “I wonder how old you will be when you stop blaming your actions on the tragedy in your teenage years?

“You are an alcoholic. It leads to violence.

“You cannot stop. You commit criminal acts that could cause far harder injuries.

“I will pass a two-year community order, I do not want to limit sentence. “If you breach I will send you into custody.

“If it is that you have stopped drinking you are likely to stay out of trouble.”

As part of the sentence Woods was ordered to attend a 30-day programme and twenty rehabilitation sessions alongside abiding by a daily electronically monitored curfew between 8pm and 5am for three months.

“This will be seen by many as an opportunity that you do not deserve,” the judge told him.

Woods was also ordered to pay Mr Warner £300 in compensation. echo.news@reachplc.com